Chapter 1

At seven months pregnant, I went to book a postpartum care center.

When it came time to sign the contract, the staff entered my info and looked at me oddly.

She said, "Ms. Summers, the system says your husband already signed up here half a year ago.

"But the spouse listed isn't you."

I was totally confused and had no idea what was going on. I pulled out my wedding photo with Edward to prove it.

The staff rolled her eyes and immediately brought up the info page.

She said, "Mr. Carter got married five years ago. They already have two kids.

"Here's their marriage certificate, and a picture of them at the postpartum care center."

In the photo, Edward was holding two kids. They were huddled around a woman I'd never seen before.

Edward and the woman were acting all lovey-dovey, like a couple head over heels for each other.

The man on the marriage certificate was definitely Edward.

If they were husband and wife, then who was I?

The receptionist scoffed, "Mr. Carter's wife is one of our VIPs. Seriously, some people will do anything for attention, trying to scam their way in here.

"Get lost! We don't want shameless pregnant women like you hanging around."

She gave me a once-over with that arrogant look, didn't even let me get a word in, and just threw me out.

Before I could even process what had happened, the postpartum care center slammed its doors shut right in my face.

Confused as hell, I just stood there, the marriage certificate and that photo kept flashing through my mind.

It was Edward's face, his information, his name, clear as anything. But the woman in the photo was a stranger to me.

I wondered why the hell Edward would hide the fact that he was already married from me.

The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I couldn't wait: I just had to call Edward and give him a piece of my mind.

But his phone kept saying it was unavailable, and even after I spammed him with messages, he didn't respond to any of them.

Then I remembered: Edward was out of the country on a business trip, probably caught up with work right now.

His company was planning to expand overseas, all to get ready for an IPO down the line.

Edward was abroad to sign a super important deal. If he managed to pull it off, the company could really take things to the next level.

Since I couldn't get through to Edward, I had no choice but to swallow my anger and wait for him to explain himself.

If I ever found out this was real, I'd make sure he regretted it.

Just then, Edward finally video called me.

He said, "Honey, I was just tied up with work and didn't get a chance to check your messages."

His face popped up on the screen, the one I knew better than anyone.

Edward was sitting in his office, dressed in a sharp suit. There were a few half-finished cups of coffee still steaming on his desk, like he'd just finished a meeting.

He looked so drained, and for a second, I actually felt bad for him.

I was about to ask if he was okay, but then all those memories from earlier came flooding back, bringing me crashing down to reality.

I shot him a furious look and demanded, "Edward, are you hiding something from me? Is there someone else?"

Edward's face went from all smiles to ghostly pale in a split second.

He looked like he was about to bow right there on camera.

He blurted out, "Honey, I swear, I haven't. You're the only one I care about.

"There's never been anyone else but you."

Worried I'd get the wrong idea, he scrambled around showing me every inch of his office, desperate to prove there wasn't anything even remotely feminine lying around.

He asked, "Who's been filling your head with this nonsense?

"Is it some gossip site making stuff up? Just wait till I get back. I'll deal with them myself.

"Honey, please, you gotta trust me. You're the only one I've ever loved, and ever will."

Seeing Edward looking so pale and totally lost, I couldn't help but relax a little.

Edward and I were college classmates. He fell for me at first sight, and after having a secret crush on me for two whole years, he finally got up the courage to tell me how he felt.

That day, he showed up with a massive bouquet of roses, kept tripping over his words, and made me laugh with all his awkwardness.

He had that princely, out-of-my-league look, always so cool and distant, but around me, he turned into the shyest, most bashful guy ever.

That crazy contrast just made me more and more curious about him.

After half a year of watching him and getting to know him, I started to really like him, and finally decided to give us a shot.

After graduation, Edward decided to start his own business, just so he could give me the life I deserved.

He managed to get his company on track in just two years, and through all the hardships, he never complained once.

After he became successful, he gave me all his company shares as a betrothal gift.

I still remember the night he proposed. Standing under the moonlight, he made a solemn vow to me.

He said, "You're the only one I'll ever love. Everything I own is yours.

"If I ever have a change of heart, you can kick me out with nothing, and I'll never get back on my feet."

He put everything he had in my hands, just to show how true his feelings were.

In that moment, I knew he was the one I could trust with my whole life.

After we got married, Edward doted on me even more. He handled every little thing around the house, no matter how big or small.

All my friends knew Edward spoiled me rotten: he was obsessed with getting home before seven, never once coming back late.

I couldn't believe a guy who was so crazy about me could be living a double life out there.

As I mulled it over, my suspicions started to melt away.

I said, "Alright, I'll trust you this time. But if I ever catch you fooling around behind my back, you're done for!"

After he kept promising over and over, I finally hung up, feeling a little more reassured.

I was just about to look for another postpartum care center.

Out of nowhere, Edward's assistant called me. The manager in charge of the new product launch had just gotten into an accident on their way to work.

Now the whole company was in chaos; nobody knew what to do, and everyone was running around like headless chickens.

With Edward unreachable, the assistant ended up calling me, desperate for help.

This product launch was a critical turning point for the company. There was absolutely no room for screw-ups.

After weighing my options, I decided to rush over to the office and handle the crisis myself.